The Spawn of Theseus
by Becky Sky
Summary: When another descendant of Theseus arrives, Jay and the others are in for a surprise... a dangerous one...
1. Long Ago and Not So Far Away

The Spawn of Theseus

**Disclaimer: Do not own Cott. Even though I wish I did.**

Chapter 1: Long Ago, But Not to Far For the God of Time

Salty sea waves kissed the warm sandy beach of Naxos, cooling the warm and tired feet of Zoë, the daughter of Ariadne of Crete, who had died in childbirth ten years before, leaving a six year old Zoë to fend on her own. Zoë sat on a rock, sharpening her knife, another spear by her side. As she finished sharpening it, she slid it back in its sheath.

Theseus, her father, had abandoned Ariadne when she was pregnant on Naxos, his love for her being superficial. Zoë bit her lip as she tried not to mutter dark curses against him, but as she fought for self-control the most unusual thing occurred.

Suddenly a huge, gaping porthole appeared in the middle of the sky, and a tall, chalky man stepped out. She instinctively reached for her weapon, but the man raised his hands into the air in a peaceful gesture.

"I don't intend to harm you," he assured her. "Instead, I have a little deal to make with you, Zoë, daughter of Theseus."

She glared at him suspiciously. "What do you want?" she snarled.

Cronus smiled cunningly. "I understand that you hold a grudge against your father for deserting your mother, am I right?"

Zoë nodded slowly. "So?"

"If you do me a favour, it will allow you to get your revenge against Theseus and I will use my powers to make sure your mother never died in the first place."

She couldn't believe her ears. "You can do that?" she asked incredulously.

He grinned. "I sure can. And all you have to do is destroy seven heroes for me."

"What a minute. You said I could get my revenge on my father…"

"One of those heroes is a direct descendant of your father."

Zoë smiled darkly. That was interesting. "What's their name?"

"Theresa."

She shuddered. "The name even sounds like his. You have a deal…"

"Cronus. God of time." Zoë looked unimpressed. "You're a mighty god, and you want me to do work that you could easily do yourself."

"I don't have to give you this opportunity, my dear."

"Oh believe me Cronus, the pleasure is all mine. I was just curious, that's all."

"Well, off you go then. Search and find the one called Theresa, and her six companions. Kill them or bring them to me alive, it doesn't matter. I'll leave it up to you."

He snapped his fingers, and suddenly Zoë was standing in the middle of a beach someplace else, with a bikini and her long red plaited hair cut to modern times in a layers. When she spoke, English came pouring out, and she was surprised that she understood.

But that wasn't her concern right now. Tied around her waist was a leather belt, and from it hung a dagger's sheath. She smiled evilly, intent on revenge. "That's better."

**A/n: Just another story idea. Let me know if it's worth updating! Luv, Becky**


	2. Meanwhile in New Olympia

Chapter 2: Meanwhile, In New Olympia…

"Scurry, lunge, back, lunge! Move, move, move!" Ares yelled, waving his arms around at his pupils. Sweat beads gathered on the seven teens' faces as they parried back and forth, trying to disarm their opponent. Atlanta and Archie were fighting as if their lives depended on it, and Jay desperately tried to knock Theresa's sword from her hand. Herry had already beaten Neil, and was now trying his moves out on poor Odie.

"Take that, Archie!" Atlanta yelled, and with an upward thrust disarmed her friend. She grinned savagely. "Beg for mercy, loser," she taunted playfully.

Archie pretended to be sick with worry. "Oh, fair maiden knight, do not harm me. I am but a poor man without any skills."

Theresa and Jay stopped and rolled their eyes in perfect harmony, and then got back to taking swings at one another, more serious and intense. Theresa gritted her teeth as Jay hit her shield with such force that she stumbled back, falling to the ground. Chivalrous, Jay let her get back to her feet before attacking again.

"You didn't have to do that," she gasped between thrusts. "I'm not weak, you know."

Jay shrugged. "It's just the swordsmanship etiquette, that's all."

"Yeah, whatever. You don't do that with Herry, Archie, Neil, or Odie," Theresa huffed angrily. "Is it because I'm a _girl_?"

Jay looked startled, and Theresa used this moment to bring the flat of her sword down on his wrist, sending his own sword clattering to the floor. She threw down her sword and shield and stalked away, her long fiery hair flying out after her.

The five other kids all stared at Jay, bewildered. Theresa was not one to throw fits and have petty arguments with Jay. The only one she had really ever had a problem with was Archie, and that had been resolved long ago.

"What was that all about?" Atlanta asked. Jay shrugged, but the six all knew that something was up, and that it probably wasn't good.

Theresa stomped out of the gym and through the janitor's closet, and down the halls of the high school. As she turned the corner, she bumped into another student. The two girls went flying to the floor amidst a pile of books and papers.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Theresa apologized profusely, helping the girl to gather her scattered belongings. As she bent to pick up a sheet of paper, though, a vision played before her eyes. _A sandy beach, and a girl sharpening a knife. Suddenly, Cronus appears, and begins to talk with her._ Theresa jolted back to reality, and looked up at her acquaintance, only to see that she had disappeared. "Hello?" she called. "Hello?"

She shivered. Something was horribly wrong. And, as usual, Cronus was behind it.

Herry, Odie, Jay, Atlanta, Archie, and Neil all sat in the school's big cafeteria eating lunch. Neil was picking through his food, trying to find the least fattening supplements, and Herry was simply gobbling everything in sight. He reached for Atlanta's dessert, but was distressed to find that she still wanted it. Atlanta slapped his hand with such force that Herry actually said "Ouch!" and yanked his hand away.

Archie was prodding his food around his plate, amazed at himself for actually ordering this stuff. "Ughh, you'd think the gods would have better taste," he complained.

Odie laughed. "Gods don't need to eat this stuff, so why should they care?"

"For the same reason they don't want Cronus to rule the world… it's disgusting!"

Jay searched around the crowded place. "Has anyone seen Theresa?"

The others shook their heads. "Not since last period," Atlanta said. "I wonder where she is."

Suddenly they saw Theresa enter through the huge doors at the end of the room and start walking towards them, her rosy cheeks pale, and her face haggard.

She collapsed into a chair next to Jay, running her hands through her long wavy hair nervously. She reached for one of his fries absent-mindedly. She took a bite and choked, spitting out the fry onto the floor. Coughing, she looked at Jay's fries in disgust. "Are the gods trying to kill us early or what?"

He grinned, but then turned sober, staring at her in concern as she laid her head down on the table and closed her eyes, rubbing her temple tiredly. The others all looked worried as well, and Atlanta, who was sitting on Theresa's other side, rubbed her back comfortingly.

"Are you okay?" Herry asked anxiously.

Theresa looked up at her friends, smiling at their concern for her. "I'm fine," she lied, but she could tell they didn't believe her.

"Okay, I'll spill," she sighed reluctantly. "I had a vision. It's about Cronus." She felt Jay stiffen beside her, and Atlanta froze. "I was walking down the hall after I left the gym, and I bumped into a girl. I bent to help her pick up her things when I saw Cronus and another young woman talking in my vision, but I don't understand what it means. I've been feeling something's wrong ever since biology class."

Jay rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That girl in your vision might be the girl you bumped into."

Theresa nodded in agreement. "The thing is, I didn't get that good a look at her."

Jay frowned. "Try to recall something. Use your powers." Theresa closed her eyes, squeezing them shut hard, concentrating. "Ohh," she moaned. Her head began to pound as a clearer vision swam before her. _Long layered red hair, big grey eyes, and a sharp nose._ Theresa's eyes flew wide open. "She looks like me, only with grey eyes."

Jay looked surprised. "Maybe she's a cousin."

Theresa closed her eyes again, shaking her head. "I don't think so. I don't have that big a family, and I haven't seen her in any family scrapbooks."

"Maybe she's a long lost cousin," Neil volunteered.

Theresa sighed. "I-" she froze as she noticed someone nearby. Whirling around, she recognized the girl from her vision. "There!" she cried, pointing. By the time everyone else turned to see, the girl had disappeared into the crowds.

Theresa groaned in frustration. "Come on," she urged. "We have to find her. I think she may be in danger."

"Either that, or we are."

"Neil, you and Theresa go and see if you can track her. The others and I will see go and see if Chiron knows anything about her. Be careful."

Theresa smirked. "Don't worry so much, Jay. I can take care of myself. If I can beat you at swordplay, I don't need Neil to protect me."

Neil smiled in relief. "Okay, good, because I want to go with them."

"Go ahead. I don't need a guy's help." Jay frowned. This wasn't like Theresa at all. Usually she was a team player, but lately she had been taking everything he said to offence. He shrugged. She was probably just in that time of month. He blushed at the thought, but he wondered if it was really that.

The group separated, and as they dispersed, a stranger watched from a nearby table, smiling. She had split up the team. "Now is my time to strike," she whispered to herself. "Now is my time to destroy Theseus!"


	3. Danger

Chapter 3: Danger

"What is _her _problem?" Neil carped as he and the others walked down the yellow halls towards the janitor's messy closet. "You'd think I beat her at shopping or something."

Atlanta rolled her eyes. "Neil, there's more to a girl than just shopping, you know. Personal issues, like family, guys…" she snuck a glance at Jay, grinning as he shrugged uncomfortably. "Or maybe she's having her period."

Herry choked on the fry he had snatched from Jay, and Archie looked sick. Neil looked disgusted, and Odie blushed. Jay just looked uncomfortable- VERY uncomfortable.

"What? It's not that big a deal! Geez, you act as though you've never heard of these things before! Honestly!" Atlanta shook her head in disbelief. "No wonder you guys don't have girlfriends."

"Ummm… geez, thanks Atlanta… nice going, guys…" the boys mumbled amongst themselves.

Atlanta grinned and sped off ahead, and a few minutes later the guys arrived through the closet, where Atlanta stood waiting with Chiron, tapping her foot impatiently. "You guys are so slow," she complained. Chiron smiled and greeted the heroes warmly.

"This way, young heroes," he said, motioning them towards his study. "Now what seems to be the problem?" he asked.

"Well, we're not quite sure, Chiron," Odie began. "You see, Theresa had a vision, and she thought something horrible was going to happen. It involves this girl who looks a lot like her. We think she's either in danger, or the danger. We just don't know where she is," he admitted.

"Theresa's gone to find her," Jay added as Ms. Persephone entered the room.

"Gone to find whom?" she inquired. As the others filled her in, she frowned. "You let her go alone?" she asked Jay. He nodded.

"Theresa's been acting really weird lately," Herry pointed out. "She's been giving Jay a hard time and been really rude."

Persephone did not look happy. "Oh my, I should've explained this to you before… You see, as Theresa develops her psychic abilities, her sensitivity towards the future becomes more prone to distress her. Until she learns to harness her powers, often times the knowledge of things yet to come is like a tickle in the back of the throat: annoying, and since she doesn't know what's to come, she will get agitated and irritable."

"It doesn't last forever?" Neil asked hopefully.

Persephone shook her head. "Only until she becomes more used to her talents and their side effects. It usually doesn't last for more than three months, especially in one with such a connection as Theresa."

The others paled. "THREE MONTHS?" Archie exploded. "Three months with that rude, nit-picky girl that has taken her over?"

Persephone's skin tone darkened into a teal blue, and Archie quietened, remembering the many times when Ms. Persephone had become down-right scary when she was angry.

"Be careful what you say, my dear Archie," she said calmly.

He gulped. "Yes Ms. Persephone," he said meekly.

Atlanta smirked and punched his arm playfully. "I've never known you to be so quiet, Arch." He rubbed his hurt arm and glared at her.

"Whatever."

"Guys!" Jay exclaimed. He turned to Ms. Persephone. "Why did I have to let Theresa go alone?" he asked worriedly.

Ms. Persephone answered, "Jay, I have a horrible feeling that Theresa is in great danger, and doesn't even know it… and it has to do with another descendant of Theseus!"

Theresa let her sixth sense guide her as she searched the halls for the girl. She felt as though she had left the building, and started for the nearest exit. She left the building through a pair of wide open doors, which brought her to the park at the back of the school. Near the end of the park was a bunch of woods, which boasted tiny footpaths. Her abilities guided her there, steering her onto one of the many trails.

Suddenly she looked around, alert to breathing nearby. Shivers crawled up her spine; she felt as though she was being watched. "Hello…" she called quietly. "Anybody there?"

The quiet breathing continued, but it was not peaceful; it was raspy and hoarse, reminding her of an animal. Her scalp prickled as she whirled around to face a boar with tusks as long as her arm. "Oh no," she whispered, full of dread. "The Caledonian boar."

Zoë watched from her perch in a nearby maple tree, pleased with herself. The boar had been her idea; and Cronus' powers had simply gotten it for her.

She smirked as she spied Theresa rummaging her pockets for nun chucks, only to come up empty. This was going to be fun to watch. She had no interest in the girl's friends. It was Theresa she hated. It was Theresa who was the descendant of the man Zoë hated with all her heart. And it was Theresa who was going to pay.


	4. The Caledonian Boarand Other Problems

Chapter 4: The Caledonian Boar… and Other Problems

Zoë smirked from her perch in the tree. "Quite a predicament, eh Theresa?" she called mockingly.

Theresa glared up at her foe. "What do you want with me? I don't even know you!"

"That's not the point."

"Then what is?" Theresa gasped as the boar stamped its hoof angrily and charged, tusks glistening threateningly. She ran for the nearest tree, scurrying up it, ignoring the slivers in her hands. From the lowest branch she turned to face Zoë, who was in a nearby tree.

"What do you want?" she panted.

"Revenge." Zoë's eyes glimmered with malice. "This has been something I've dreamed about for a long time, descendant of Theseus."

Theresa gaped at her, realization dawning. "So it's not about me, is it? You're angry at Theseus… but why?"

Zoë glowered at her. "Don't distract me," she spat.

Theresa glanced at her pleadingly. "It's not fair to fight without reason."

"Who said life was fair? Try being abandoned by your own father before you were even born!" She covered her mouth, as if she had revealed too much.

Theresa inhaled sharply, astonished. "So… you're the daughter of…" She gulped. "Theseus?"

Zoë nodded contritely. "I'm not proud of it either. He left my mother to die on Naxos. She was found by Dionysus and married to him before I was born." Her steely gray eyes softened. "She died when I was six years old, and Dionysus disappeared, probably to make her a goddess. You may have heard of her. Ariadne."

Theresa nearly choked. "That's Mr. Dionysus' stay-at-home wife… she's your mom… that means…" Her head was spinning. "I always thought…"

"What? That Theseus was some grand hero who didn't leave anyone behind, no matter what? Well, guess what? You're wrong! My mother risked her life to help him defeat the Minotaur, and the Minotaur was her own half-brother! And Theseus repays her by getting her pregnant, promising her his eternal love, and then leaving her to die on some gods-forsaken island!" Her voice rose alarmingly, and Theresa noticed that she was caressing her knife, as if thinking of using it. She carefully moved along on her branch to get out of range, making sure that she didn't snap it.

Oh Jay, Atlanta, Herry, Odie, Archie, and Neil, she thought. Where are you? I need help!

"Theresa's in danger?" Jay asked worriedly. "Garr, why did I let her go alone?"

"Because you believe in her abilities," Atlanta reminded him warningly. "She can take care of herself, Jay."

He stared at her. "This isn't time for your feminist attitude, Atlanta! No matter how strong we are, none of us can take on Cronus, or anything else he throws at us, alone!"

She crossed her arms and stuck her lip out in a pout. "Guys," she muttered.

Persephone shook her head. "He's right, dear," she said. "You must find Theresa. I have a horrible feeling…"

Just then a horrible scream resounded through the room as Persephone managed to make a psychic connection. The young goddess looked at each of her pupils, a terrified look on her face. Suddenly weak, she collapsed to the ground, trembling.

"Hurry and find her, she's in terrible danger!"

Theresa screamed as the branch she was crouching on shattered under her weight. It went falling from beneath her to be trampled by the boar's immense hooves. She managed to grasp the pitiful stump that jutted out from the trunk. Her feet slipped over the bark as she scrambled to find a foothold, sending loose pieces falling to the forest floor.

"Are you happy now?" she asked a frowning Zoë. "If you're nice, I may just let you kill me!"

"Oh, don't talk so foolishly," Zoë snapped irritably. "This is no fun at all. I want to kill you myself and get my hands dirty. Cronus!"

Theresa paled as the god appeared, smiling evilly. "Yes, my dear?" he asked politely, eyes shimmering with spite as he saw Theresa hanging for dear life.

"Get rid of this animal and take us to the beach. I've decided to kill her myself."

Cronus bowed. "As you wish." With a snap of his fingers, the big grey boar disappeared, and Theresa swiftly found herself on a sprawling beach, palm trees swaying in a gentle breeze. But something was very wrong. No bikini-topped models lounged in the sun, and no tiny children ran about dragging baby-sitters or young mothers behind them. The place was utterly deserted.

"Welcome," Zoë began, spreading out her arms to show off the scenery to her clairvoyant guest, "To Naxos."


End file.
